NBC Universal, Inc.
NBC Universal, Inc. is a media and entertainment company formed in May 2004 by the combination of General Electric's NBC with Vivendi Universal Entertainment (part of the French Media Group, Vivendi SA). GE owns 80% of NBC Universal with the remaining 20% owned by Vivendi SA. The company develops, produces, and markets entertainment, news, and information to a global customer base. NBC Universal owns and operates a United States television network, numerous cable networks, a group of local stations throughout the country, motion picture companies, a number of television production companies, and multiple theme parks. Law & Order franchise Law & Order The pilot episode for Law & Order was produced to be sold to CBS in 1988, but was rejected by that network. When NBC picked up the series in 1990, the pilot aired as episode six. The show is produced by Universal Media Studios, formerly known as NBC Universal Television Studio, Universal Television, and Studios USA. It has been syndicated on other United States networks since 1994, as well as worldwide. According to news reports in 2005, the Law & Order franchise (including all the different series) generates around $1 billion in annual revenues for NBC Universal and its cable partners (a February 2005 NBC financial presentation states that NBC's share of this revenue (including syndication and advertising) is more than $550 million). Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit originally aired on Monday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET for the first nine episodes, from September 20 through November 29 1999. It was then shifted to Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET on January 7 2000, and remained in that time slot through the end of Season 4 on May 16 2003. SVU was placed in its current time slot for the Season 5 premiere on September 23 2003 Tuesday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET and occasionally runs previous shows on Saturday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET. SVU has surpassed, in both ratings and popularity, the original Law & Order television program. This is a rare occurrence in the television industry. Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent aired its first six seasons on NBC. From October 4, 2007, to the end of 2007, new episodes of Criminal Intent could only be seen on the USA; starting January 9, 2008, these episodes were rerun on NBC. In addition, re-runs are aired on the USA and Bravo cable TV channels, and also beginning in the fall, the show will be stripped five times a week in syndication across the country. Law & Order: Trial by Jury Law & Order: Trial by Jury premiered on Thursday, March 3, 2005, and aired its series finale on Friday, May 6, 2005. Its regular time slot was Fridays 10/9 p.m. ET on NBC. An additional episode aired on Court TV after the series' cancellation. Trial by Jury is the first series of the Law & Order franchise to be cancelled, although TV Guide reported at one point that NBC had reconsidered its decision and would pick up the series once again (or hand it off to Turner Network Television, which also airs reruns of the original series). Law & Order : Los Angeles Law & Order: LA was announced by NBC in early 2010. It was revealed that the series was being developed at NBC Studios, and it's air date was set for the end of the year. NBC in the franchise The magician Dean Holiday had a television deal with NBC before they canceled it in favor of a deal with an illusionist. (CI: Vanishing Act) Category: Production companies